Walls
by blue revolver
Summary: She mentally built them to move on. Because of that, he was being driven up one. RyoSaku
1. Who's Miss Pretty Face?

**A/N: **Hello! I'm bluerevolver, and I'm quite new here. I've read a bunch of fanfics that I was inspired to create one of my own. xD However, I didn't really know where I was going with this one. I just thought up this particular scene one day and just decided to write it. Originally, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but the length of this one-shot would be way too long, so I divided it into chapters. Um, hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these lovely characters. I wish I did though.

Ryuzaki Sakuno was on her way to Seishun Academy High. The day was picturesque with the bright sun, soft breeze, and chirping birds within the green trees. She could only smile at such a perfect day in April. Her mood only improved as she remembered all of her accomplishments this week, which involved reading for World History that was completed successfully without the habit of dozing off, her bento being made on time this morning (filled with her favorites), and the devotion to studying the night before for the English test that was today. Sakuno thought it rare that everything could fall into place nicely without any disturbances, but quickly shook off the thought and just decided to bask in what would seem to be a perfect day.

Upon reaching a streetlight and waiting for her chance to cross safely, a couple of girls chattered excitedly. Sakuno briefly glanced at them, concluding that they attended another high school. Their uniforms and features spoke it all. Chocolate eyes focused forward again, waiting for the signal to change.

"It was amazing!" chirped the shortest girl. "It's a shame that he's gone and disappeared again."

Her friend nodded. "He needs to stop doing that. But then again, it adds to his... 'aloof-ness'."

"Where do you think he is now?" asked another.

"Probably somewhere else in the states. I heard Echizen-sama likes to hang out near the beaches in California."

Sakuno momentarily froze. _Echizen Ryoma?_ But of course, who ELSE on this blasted planet has the last name Echizen other than his family? She would also doubt that they would be talking about any of his family members. He's been showcasing himself constantly on the media with his commercials and tournaments anyhow. Meanwhile, what's with this crosswalk signal? Is it broken?

"How romantic. Maybe when I finally audition for modeling, I could get a chance to meet him," swooned the shortest girl.

"Yeah right. And then he could take you to the beach and have a romantic walk with you," laughed another.

Sakuno couldn't help but sigh, but kept a firm resolve that she will not concern herself over the missing Prince of Tennis. Ever since his permanent departure to America, Sakuno found no purpose in wishful thinking and therefore began to persuade herself that a chance with Ryoma just wasn't possible. His devotion to tennis was powerful to say the least and she would bite her tongue to keep herself from desiring something more than friendship with him. The senpai-tachi weren't agreeing with her, however, and every once in a while would tease her if she had ever contacted him or received any gifts from him. Sakuno would smile, a strained one at best, and deny that she had gotten anything from the tennis prodigy. It was true anyway, so she didn't have to feel guilty that she was lying to her senpai-tachi. Though a part of her wished she was lying, but that wish was quickly stomped on. This was good enough for her. She could watch his success and silently cheer him on like she did back in Seigaku. That, and she thought it impossible for Ryoma to even be that romantic with anyone other than his tennis racket.

Sakuno shook her head, seeing the people walking forward due to the change of the crosswalk signal. Silently reprimanding herself for not paying attention, she walked forward and tuned out the still-chattering girls. She was not going to let depressing thoughts ruin her well-earned day.

Once the towering structures of Seishun Academy High came into view, Sakuno found herself smiling again. This school was her obstacle and she was confident that she'd overcome it thanks to the preparation. The gate was wide open for its students, but the auburn-headed girl noticed something... Off.

In the middle of the school grounds, a large swarm of students were grouped and causing quite a ruckus. She barely had time to even raise an eyebrow when a loud squeals resonated throughout the campus.

"Echizen-sama!!!"

"Welcome back to Japan, Echizen-san!"

"Echizen-sama, will you please sign my notebook?!"

For the second time that day, Sakuno froze at the mention, or rather yells, of his name. It had to be a joke! Why was he here in Japan? Shouldn't he be off somewhere, Twist Serving a less important opponent in the face and rolling around in his money in his cozy mansion in America? Whether if this was a joke or not, Sakuno would just go on with her schedule. She worked too damn hard to build her walls against those forbidden feelings and will not succumb to it so easily. So, with that thought, she took a deep breath to calm herself and walked on, avoiding the giant mob of students.

Until Osakada Tomoka pulled her to the side.

"Sakuno!!" she screeched, trying to be heard. "Did you see Ryoma-sama yet?! He looks so han-"

"Tomo-chan," Sakuno interrupted, though equally loud. "We have to get to class. We don't have time for this."

A pout formed on Tomoka's face. "No one's even in class yet! The teacher won't even bother-"

"I'm going anyways."

Tomoka looked disappointingly at her best friend's retreating form. She wished that Sakuno hadn't enforced such a stupid theory in her head. If she wasn't love-stricken with him anymore, she could at least greet him as friends.

However, while the whole student population was preoccupied outside, Sakuno made her way to the classroom, finding it empty (not surprising) and navigated through the situated desks, bumping her hip into one and mentally cursing her clumsy behavior. Perhaps the gods thought it entertaining to bestow the gift of gravity-retardation upon this simple slip of a girl. Once her designated seat was within reach, she happily plopped herself down.

The sun shone upon her skin through the wide windows. Sakuno found herself glancing outside at the beautiful sky with little to no clouds littering it. A smile crept to her face while she laid her head upon her crossed arms and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE GET TO CLASS OR I'LL FORCE EACH STUDENT TO ATTEND AN ASSEMBLY DISCUSSING THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL."

Sakuno groaned as the thunderous voice of her grandmother resounded throughout the school grounds. Ryuzaki Sumire continued her passion of coaching tennis and decided to apply for the high school her granddaughter was in. It was easier for them in terms of communication and transportation, and Sakuno had no problem with it. She loves her grandmother to death and found it reassuring that she had someone looking after her even after Seigaku.

Her ears picked up on the dying volume of the ruckus. At least her day can continue now that the students finally obeyed and started filing into the building. Her chocolate eyes wandered to the large mass of bodies entering the doors below. Suddenly, the thought of Ryoma possibly having the same class as she did entered her mind. Bolting upright, she quickly shook her head. It was nearly impossible for that to happen. There were nine other classrooms for sophomores, so it would be a one out of nine chance he'd get hers. A pleasant look bloomed on her face at the realization that her walls still had a chance relieved her and decided to get her materials out.

Noise started to fill the halls and students poured into the classroom, taking no note that Sakuno was even in the room. She didn't mind one bit. Let's see, where were her good sets of pencils...?

Once the teacher strolled in, he cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm sure you all have met Echizen Ryoma, so there will be no need for an introduction," he quipped, nodding his head to the student situated next to Sakuno, whose eyes looked as though they'd pop out of their sockets. Sakuno stopped her actions and whipped her head to the side.

Oh, the gods were cruel to her.

His hair was a shade darker of forest green than Sakuno remembered. It was still unruly, but it shaped his mature face. Amber cat eyes were more narrow and fit well with his handsome features. He took no notice of her as he stared straight ahead, wearing a stoic expression. At least she could spare herself the trouble that would bound to happen and remained silent and uninteresting as possible as to not draw attention from him.

The class period continued on in the same fashion until Ryoma found it necessary to take a nap throughout the teacher's lectures. Sakuno sighed at his careless-ness, getting deja vu from Seigaku, and continued to scribble down notes.

The lecture ended on a final note once the teacher commanded the students put their things away for the test. The auburn-haired girl debated on either waking up Ryoma or just leaving him be. Then again, he was always so damn good at this subject anyway so it wouldn't really matter. Fingering her lone braid draped over her shoulder (she ditched the twin braids), she just decided to let him be. Echizen had all the money in the world anyway. Sakuno didn't see a valid reason for him to be in high school in the first place. Japan no less. He could have just hired a smart, pretty American tutor and save himself the trouble of airplane fare and fangirls.

The teacher proceeded to pass out the tests while the students in the front row handed them to the rows behind. The female student in front of Ryoma tapped his arm, putting on a charming smile for his sleepy face.

"Here's your test, Echizen-sama. Good luck!" she winked and turned herself around.

Sakuno frowned. Why did he have to sit next to her? Why did she feel a little jealous when that girl winked at him when he was half-awake? Why were her walls slightly faltering? And damn it, why is the first question to this test looking foreign to her? She studied too hard for this, and she will get a decent if not excellent marking on it if she can help it. Determination overrode her brain and she began to deeply analyze the question, forcefully forgetting her surroundings and the famed boy who sat next to her.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was scratching his head and yawning absent-mindedly. He had no clue what was going on until he finally glanced at the paper in front of him.

_An English test._

Piece of cake. He had already heard the lectures this teacher was droning on about, so he should at least get a good mark. All he needed was a pencil, which was in his nifty handbag, which would be laying on the floor next to his feet.

... Scratch that. "Should be."

His eyebrows furrowed until his expression became annoyed. Stupid fangirls. He just bought all of that recently too. Ah well, nothing he can do about it now. So he decided he would simply ask for a pencil from one of his peers. Cat eyes glanced to his right. It was a male student who looked so focused on his test that he might spontaneously combust if bothered in the slightest. He turned his attention to the girl in front, who handed him the test and openly flirted with him. That was a big no. Then he turned his head to the right. This student was also female, but looked less intimidating than the male student. It's probably because she's a girl with a single braid draped over her left shoulder, clasped with a flower clip. She also was considerate enough to even spare him the hassle fangirls normally wouldn't spare, so she has to be somewhat decent. Before Ryoma even lifted a finger, he noticed something oddly... Familiar about this girl. However, the time was ticking for the test, so he quickly shrugged it off and tapped her shoulder gently.

"Ne," he whispered, eyeing the extra pencil on her desk. "Can I borrow that?"

Because Sakuno momentarily forgot about the world in order to put forth her entire brain on this English test, she also forgot who sat next to her. Petite hands swiftly picked up the pencil and offered it to him with a sweet smile. Ryoma had to blink a few times at how fast her beaming face morphed into one of a horrified expression once he accepted the pencil. Did he do something wrong?

"Thanks," he hesitantly said.

Sakuno quickly turned her attention back to her unfinished test, seeing the questions turn foreign again and fighting the oncoming blush. "You're welcome."

She quickly grabbed her pencil again and started racking her brain for the answer she was just about to jot down. She needed a distraction for her jumbled brain! Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she prayed that Ryoma lacked a decent memory so that he did not remember her from the old days of Seigaku. The odds were in her favor since she was mostly quiet and reserved in her actions unlike Tomoka, so that somewhat reassured her.

While Sakuno was having her internal conflicts, Ryoma was also having a bit of his. Why was this girl so familiar? All of the females he had ever known or even glanced at were loud, obnoxious fangirls (excluding his mother and Nanako), so this feeling was a little bizarre. He lowered his eyes into his own paper, skimming through the questions in his head and answering them all silently. His pencil scribbled the answers down with ease.

Once he was finished, he scanned around and found the other students still working. Figures, he was always first to finish his English tests in Seigaku. Why should this be any different? Then again, he was raised in America for a good chunk of his life, so maybe he shouldn't be bragging so much. He stood up and started towards the teacher and handed in his paper with a bored expression.

"Too easy for you, Echizen?" asked the teacher in a sarcastic manner.

Ryoma merely shrugged. "Maybe just a little." He returned to his seat and found admiring and glaring looks pointed at him. He frowned in return. It wasn't like he had a choice on whether to stay in Japan or not. His eyes wandered over to the "decent" girl sitting next to him. She seemed really concentrated on this test as he observed her pencil tapping against her chin. How hard could this test really be? It was just coordinating and subordinating conjunctions with a little bit of prepositional phrases. His eyes landed on her paper, examining her answers. From what he could tell, she was doing quite well, save for the minor errors.

Sakuno didn't even notice his obvious staring at her paper as she set her pencil down and went over her answers. A few minor errors were fixed and she quickly relaxed, happy with how she had done. Now, all she had to do was stand up and turn it in...

Until a tap on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. Seeing it safe that Ryoma doesn't have even the slightest clue of who she is, she turned toward him a bit more confidently. Maybe he wanted to return the pencil. He could have it for all she cared.

His index finger tapped at the empty slot on the top of the sheet where it required a name. It suddenly occurred to her that Ryoma must've been looking at her paper. But why? He had finished before everyone else in the class as usual. And she was sure her answers weren't as good as his own, so why look? Sakuno fought back another blush of embarrassment and brought up her pencil.

"Th-Thank you," she stuttered. And damn it all to hell that she stuttered! She was infamous for it and she prayed to the cruel gods above that he didn't look into it.

Unfortunately for her, it did cause him to lift his eyebrows a fraction. THAT was also strangely familiar. "No problem," he said, trying to mask his suspicion. It was driving him to the point of irritation. WHO THE HECK IS THIS CHICK?

Sakuno was sure fire would spark with how fast she wrote her name down. Before she set down her pencil, her hand quickly swept up the paper and started for the teacher up front. She prayed that Ryoma wasn't looking when she wrote her name down. It wouldn't do if her walls were to falter again. Sakuno made her decision long ago, and she would stick with it, damn it!

Ryoma cursed to himself for being distracted when he had the chance to know her name. The only thing he caught was "Ryu" before she whisked her paper away. Ryu? He was sure he didn't know anyone with the last name Ryu. Damn, this was driving him crazy. Why does he even care? She could be another one of his annoying fangirls who's trying to play an innocent act to lure him into her ploy. Yeah, maybe that was it. Maybe he was just being jumpy for no reason. However, he still could not shake off the feeling that he's MET this Ryu-something something in the past. Yellow ochre eyes studied this girl who was coming back to her seat all-the-while messing with his mind.

She was a petite and pretty girl. Rich, auburn locks crowned her head and shaped her delicate face. A neat, lone braid clasped with a flower clip was brought to the front, making it past her collarbone. Her eyes were large and chocolate-colored, complimented by her fair skin and pink lips. It basically reminded Ryoma of sweets. Her body structure was a bit short. If Ryoma were to stand, he guessed the top of her head would reach the bottom of his chin. But that wasn't all to be said about her body structure. The school's uniform covered her curves nicely while the skirt part generously showed a lot of her shapely legs clad in black knee-high socks and shoes.

Ryoma snapped out of it once he realized that the other students were getting up and turning their papers in. A soft thump indicated that Ryu-something just took her seat. She began to pack up her things when he noticed that he still had her pencil.

"Here," he said, handing the pencil out to her. She turned, a shy smile on her face. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

She nodded, taking the pencil and stuffing it away within the contents of her bag. Sakuno didn't know if she felt relieved or depressed. She was relieved that Ryoma hadn't shown any sign of remembering her, which meant that the walls she carefully built were still standing strong. However, it also saddened her that she had failed to imprint herself in his life for him to recognize her. She couldn't exactly blame him for that though. She couldn't bring herself to be the center of attention or to do or wear anything attractive. She liked being simple, and if Ryoma didn't approve of simple, then she would just have to deal with it.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was failing at shoving this Ryu-something something out of his mind. If she was making his thoughts go haywire, then she HAD to be someone important. Why he had such bad memory, he didn't know, but he blamed his father. He was always the source of his problems. Once he was done naming all of the obscenities he mentally could at his father, he thought up of a brilliant idea.

"Ne, what's your name?"

Okay, maybe not brilliant. It was more like slow, once he thought about it. Really, why couldn't he have asked that in the first place and save the unnecessary headache?

And for the third time that day, Sakuno froze. There should be a name for freezing up physically. How was she going to get out of this situation? It would be infinitely rude to brush him off and leave him there without an answer, but what good would it do if he knew her name? Would he remember her finally? Would she find out where she stood in his life? A big chunk of her mind told her to tell him. But the tiny chunk remaining reminded her of the possibility that the walls will fall. Looking anywhere but at him, she bit her lip in frustration at what to do.

Ryoma furrowed his brows. Why wasn't she answering? Usually girls would yell their names at him without even having to ask for it. Did she not hear him correctly? Maybe she hadn't. Then again, his quick eyes had a reaction from her after he asked his question. Growing impatient, he decided to ask again...

Until the bell decided to ring.

The two jerked up, finding students shuffling out of their seats. Sakuno found this as her chance to get away and quickly got up.

"Wait, you didn't-"

"I'm very sorry, Echizen-san. I have to go," she hurriedly interrupted. "Perhaps next time!"

And with that, Ryoma watched her scurry off. If he didn't know better, she was scurrying off FRANTICALLY. Almost as if she was trying to get away from him. That's weird. What was wrong with him that she had to literally scamper out of the classroom? And to not even tell him her name? Maybe he smelled funny. Taking a sniff of himself, he found that his sports cologne wasn't all THAT bad. Damn, girls sure are weird sometimes. That Ryu-something something was a prime example. Fine, if she didn't want him to know her name, then that was just peachy with him. He could live with not knowing this Ryu-something something for the rest of his life. And with that final thought, he stood up, gathered his things, and made his way out of the classroom.

**A/N:** Well, did you guys like it? Please let me know through a review if you'd like to know what happens next!Thanks for reading!


	2. Prince of Pursuit

**A/N:** Hey guys! You don't know how happy I was to get so many reviews for my first fanfic! Thank you so much! I'm glad you guys liked it! Some of the reviews were also very helpful, so hopefully this chapter is a little better. Who knows, I said I didn't really know where I was going with this story anyhow. xD Ah well, here's the second chapter! (Sorry, it's a bit short, I didn't know what to do from here on. Still thinking about it. xD;)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters.

Sakuno let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Why did she have to do that? It just practically screamed at Ryoma that she was weird or suspicious, regardless of him knowing who she was or not. Oh well. Maybe it persuaded Ryoma to not even look her way anymore. She could live with that. She's lived with it ever since Seigaku, so this should be no problem.

The auburn-haired girl trotted down the halls, heart throbbing painfully at the situation at hand. All of this shouldn't be happening. She should be having no problems with school. She was supposed to go to tennis practice afterward, walk home, and have a nice dinner with her grandmother. The following days would almost be in the exact same fashion.

Now that Echizen Ryoma, the Prince of Tennis, was here, she couldn't even breath regularly. Why did it have to be him that she had a tremendous crush on? Why couldn't it be a nice guy who's not known so well and have the greatest personality in the world? However, that might be asking for too much. It's rare to find guys like those, now-a-days. But Echizen Ryoma wasn't an inviting option either. No, Ryuzaki does not hate him. Even though she was convinced he completely ignored her during their Seigaku days, she could not bring herself to hate him. She could only be disappointed. It hurt to know that you could not be loved in return, but that was just how life worked. He was a tennis prodigy that everyone worshipped, for God's sakes. Everyone sought after him, which, in-turn, (Sakuno imagined) led him to be quite picky. So Sakuno sucked it up and persuaded herself to move on. At least she could be acquainted with him, right? The auburn-haired girl knew she would be happy once Ryoma finally found that someone for him. It would hurt, but she would be happy.

Her feet carried her to her to the main entrance of the school on their own accord. So much for letting depressing thoughts ruin this day. Perhaps self-persuasion should be in order if she is to keep her sanity by graduation. At least she can work herself to exhaustion when tennis practice rolls around. Then she'd be too tired to think of anything. Just as she rounded the corner, Tomoka caught up to her.

"Sakuno-chan! Are you okay? I've been calling your name at least ten times already!" she said, her tone thick with worry.

The said girl nodded. "I was just lost in thought. Sorry Tomo-chan."

"If you say so," Tomoka skeptically said. "Anywho, let's get to our usual spot before someone steals it. Were you finally able to make your dream bento?"

"Yes, I did," Sakuno chuckled.

"Great! Now let's get going! Horio and the others are waiting!" Tomoka pointed out while quickly ushering Sakuno through the double doors.

Unknown to the two girls, Ryoma stood in the distance, watching the doors they just disappeared into. Thanks to Osakada's obnoxiously loud calling to her best friend, he now knew the name to Ryu-something something.

Ryuzaki Sakuno.

He shrugged and turned to walk off to somewhere quiet. Ryuzaki Sakuno, huh? Geez, and here he was worrying for nothing. Now which way was to the rooftop? A nice nap is in order from the uncalled-for stressing of his brain.

_... Ryuzaki Sakuno._

.............................................................................

SHE'SOLDHAG'SGRANDDAUGHTER.

His footsteps halted as it all dawned on him. Amber cat-eyes widened as he remembered her long, twin braids, her unstable hips and her poor excuse for tennis experience. Yes, yes, and her weird stuttering, constant blushing and silent cheerleading. No wonder Osakada looked incomplete without Ryuzaki.

But why did she feign ignorance? How come she didn't want him to know her name? Did she not want him to remember her? Not to brag, but people would usually be honored to be remembered by him. He was an international tennis star after all. But this silent cheerleader who occasionally made him bentos and who was lucky enough to even take lessons from him did not want to be known by _him_.

Once he had realized that he was just standing in the middle of the quiet hallway, he shrugged and proceeded to try and find the door to the rooftop. If Ryuzaki did not want to be acknowledged, then she could have it her way.

... But why?

The question kept coming back to him like a satellite and revolved inside his head. Surely he didn't do anything wrong in the past, did he? Maybe she was just in a bad mood. Although, she looked really happy when Osakada came along. So maybe the issue _is him._ But what the hell did he do to cause the oh-so-kind Ryuzaki to shy away from him? It didn't stop her before in the past, so why is she starting now?

He didn't like the fact that he knew none of the answers to his questions. Not at all. In tennis, he would question his opponent and his opponent's skill level. Once the match begins, he'd analyze the problem and the answers came to him naturally. That was how he'd win. Question and then answer.

However, this was a completely different situation.

He analyzed the situation to the best of his ability, but he could not wait for Sakuno to up and tell him why she is acting so strangely. Even if she did, he would know the answer, but not know how to approach it. He was as dense as a rock after all. And even if he DID know how to approach it, her response could either relieve or devastate him. Girls were always on a whole different level (says his Oyaji), and this frustrated Ryoma to no end. Even if this isn't a game of tennis, he will win this... This... This whatever it is he's playing in.

Before he could harden his resolve, a hard slap stung his shoulder.

"Ne, Echizen!" Momoshiro loudly greeted. "What's up? Do you have a hearing problem or something?"

Ryoma couldn't help but glare at his spiky-haired senpai. That HURT, damn it! To ease the pain, he lifted a hand to massage the burning spot.

"No, why?" Ryoma bit out while conducting his ministrations.

Momoshiro sheepishly grinned, seeing that he actually caused a bit of pain for his kouhai. "Sorry about that. But anyway, I was calling your name. You didn't seem to hear me though."

The cat-eyed boy merely grunted. No way in hell was he going to explain to Momo-senpai that he was thinking of going to see a certain auburn-haired girl. He wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Were you thinking of your girlfriend?" Momo asked, snickering a bit.

... It was close enough. Sakuno was the only female friend he could tolerate. So damn him!

"What do you want, Momo-senpai?" Ryoma bit out again while ignoring his childish (but somewhat true) question. Damn, his shoulder was aching. Letting your guard down sucked.

The upperclassman seemed to have forgotten all about his accusation and hitch-hiked to the tennis courts. "The others wanted to know if you want to hang out during lunch. Seeing as how you're back from America, we thought maybe a little practice match would be a good 'welcome-back' gesture."

"No." Blunt and straight to the point.

Momoshiro could only stare at him. _The_ Echizen Ryoma was turning down something tennis-related?

"Who are you and what have you done with the REAL Echizen Ryoma?" he questioned hesitantly.

Ryoma could only frown. His resolve is set: He's going to find Ryuzaki and find out what the hell is wrong with her.

... However, he's still having trouble pinpointing WHY he cares so much.

"I have something to do. I'll be there for after-school practice," he assured in monotony and spun on his heel through the double doors. Momoshiro was left staring at the retreating back of his kouhai.

Ryoma squinted once he appeared outside. The sun was obnoxiously bright today and he mentally cursed that he didn't have his Fila cap to help shade his eyes. It was tucked inside his bag, which his fans stole. Damn them.

Remembering that he had a resolve, he quickly scanned around the campus grounds. Students ate leisurely, chatting with one another. Some noticed his presence but did not invite him to sit with them because he looked like he was going to kill someone thanks to his squinting eyes. That was fine with him. Less fans means an easier way to find Ryuzaki. Now where was she?

He found no traces of auburn pigtails or Osakada Tomoka. Making his way around the school building, he was outside the gymnasium and on the fields where the baseball gates and the tennis courts were. A few students were having lunch there as well, and it appears that Osakada's group is eating there too. They chatted while watching the Regulars practice. Crap, how was he going to approach them when the Regulars were in sight? He refused Momo-senpai's request and he'd be damned if he lets them see he refused his request for this. But how the hell is he supposed to pull this off?

... Wait a minute.

He narrowed his cat eyes on the group, but he found no Ryuzaki Sakuno sitting amongst them. He sighed in relief that he didn't have to go over there and make a spectacle of himself in front of the Regulars. However, Ryoma frowned. If she was not with them, then where did she go?

"Hey Echizen!"

Ryoma nearly jumped out of his skin and whizzed around to a guy his age with spiky brown hair. His large grin was a bit unnerving but familiar at the same time.

The guy merely scratched his cheek. "You don't remember me, do ya?"

Ryoma shook his head.

"Aw, c'mon! I have two years of tennis experience! How can you not-"  
"Horio," Ryoma interrupted, finally remembering after the other boy's declaration.

Horio beamed in response. "I knew you'd remember!"

How could the prodigy not? The other boy would make this declaration every time he spoke.

"So what brings you here? Were you looking for me so you could challenge me?" he bragged shamelessly.

"Where is Ryuzaki?" Ryoma asked, ignoring Horio's question. He felt generous today and decided to save the boy from a tennis-whooping. Besides, Ryuzaki was first-priority right now.

Horio thoughtfully stared at Ryoma. "She's having lunch. Why?"

"Where?" Ryoma asked.

"By herself at her secret spot," Horio responded. "Why?"

Ryoma sighed. "Where is her secret spot?"

"It wouldn't be a secret spot if people knew about it, right?" Horio countered.

Ryoma grit his teeth. His patience was wearing thin and he was almost about to accept that challenge Horio proposed earlier to let off some steam.

"Why is she not eating with you guys?" the cat-eyed boy asked, trying to keep his irritation at a minimum.

Horio shrugged. "She just said she wanted to eat alone today. We all worry about her, but she says not to. So we're trusting her word."

It was strange that Ryuzaki is also being distant with her friends. What the hell happened to her?

"However," Horio continued. "The rooftop is out-of-bounds. I wonder how she gets through without being seen-"

Upon seeing that he just let it slip, Horio quickly covered his mouth with a shamed look of shock on his face.

Ryoma grinned.

"W-Wait, Echizen-"

He couldn't finish his plea as he watched the tennis prodigy race around the building.

The rooftop. The ROOFTOP! If only he had gone with his first choice to go up there, then he would've saved himself the trouble of making an entire circle around the school!

Grumbling in annoyance, he quickly paced through the double doors and searched for the entry to the rooftop. As he ascended the endless flights of stairs, he questioned himself again why he cares about this so much. Ryuzaki obviously had a problem with him. End of story. But he was missing out on all of the details. He wanted to fully understand why she's doing this. Ryoma doesn't want to admit it, but it hurt to know you're being avoided.

Especially by Ryuzaki.

The girl who treated him like Echizen Ryoma, the boy in middle school, not Echizen Ryoma, the tennis prodigy. He didn't want her to treat him like he was nothing to her. He'd rather she act like his fans than this. At least he had her attention. And then it hit him.

Echizen Ryoma wanted her attention.

It didn't make sense to him at first, but that didn't stop him from ascending another flight of stairs. Ryuzaki always vied for his attention, and he would give it even though he wouldn't know how to. Now that she was doing the exact opposite, he felt very... empty.

Ryoma frowned once he found himself in front of the flight of stairs that led to the rooftop. This foreign feeling was blooming in his chest and he found that he didn't exactly like it. His Oyaji badgered on about "the birds and the bees" multiple times but always ignored him. He was beginning to regret it now that the foreign feeling was growing.

He couldn't like Ryuzaki, could he?

He continued up the stairs until he was face-to-face with the door that would lead to her, but he couldn't bring himself to twist the knob. What if Ryuzaki had really changed? What if she really despised him and wanted nothing more to do with him? What did he do wrong to bring about that change in her? What about-

_RIIIIIING!_

His eyes widened once he was smacked in the face with sunlight and a head of auburn hair. Ryoma heard himself grunt loudly and a squeak before his world was turning upside-down and all around. He shut his eyes, bracing for the pain he know is about to come.

After rolling and tumbling, he cracked open his eyes and winced at the pain on his back. He felt pressure on his chest as he blearily stared at the ceiling. Why are the Gods tormenting him? What did he do in his past life to deserve this? His thought suddenly cut off once the pressure started shifting and making noises.

Sakuno pushed against the floor to support herself, rubbing the bump on her head while wincing. That really hurt! If it wasn't for this person, she'd be in the nurse's office right now.

"S-Sorry! I was in a rush-"

She stopped once her eyes regained focus and she was staring right into the cat eyes of Echizen Ryoma.

He thought she looked cute with that surprised expression. Her hair was a bit frazzled from all of the tumbling, but she looked like she didn't sustain an injury.

"E-Echizen-san!" she squeaked, scrambling off of him and stumbling to her feet. "I-I'm very sorry!"

Ryoma furrowed a brow as he got to his feet also. Echizen-san? Didn't she used to call him "Ryoma-kun?" The new name made it sound like they're nothing but mere acquaintances.

"It's nothing," he responded, brushing himself off and rolling his shoulders. "Are you hurt?"

Ryuzaki blushed, shaking her head. "I'm fine."

Ryoma couldn't help but grin. He liked her blushes too.

_RIIIIING!_

Damn that bell! Does it have to be so loud? He turned once Ryuzaki squeaked again and then left him behind in the dust.

"Hurry, Echizen-san! We're late for class!" she shouted behind her.

Taking a moment to register what she just said, he cursed to himself and followed after her. He failed again! He'd just have to talk to her during class.

**A/N:** Aaaaah Ryoma, you idiot boy you. Thanks for reading!


	3. Silly Game

**A/N**: Hello again! Sorry for the wait! School is being terrible right now. So here's the third chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of these characters.

Echizen Ryoma plopped himself down on his desk and cursed his timing. He glanced to his right, watching Ryuzaki Sakuno rummage through her bag for who-knows-what for the umpteenth time. He faced forward again, focusing on the teacher, but with a feeling of irritation. The bell just HAD to ring when he finally confronted Ryuzaki so he couldn't even get a word to her. Ryoma also noticed that Ryuzaki had a tendency to blatantly ignore him when he turned to face her. The fact that he also had another hour to endure this abysmally BORING lecture was slowly driving him up the wall. They say patience is a virtue, but Ryoma was a man of action. Screw proverbs.

The problem of how he was going to talk to her without getting in trouble remained. He couldn't just outright ask what the hell was her problem with him. Oh yeah, the teacher would surely let them get away with that. Not. He wasn't a complete idiot.

He glanced to his right again, watching how Sakuno wrote down her notes in neat Japanese characters. It didn't surprise him, however. She was a GIRL after all-

Ryoma sat up instantly. Why didn't he think of it sooner? He could talk to her in _note form._ Okay, so maybe he was a complete idiot. Sometimes. He scowled, only to realize that he didn't have any paper or pencil. His book bag was stolen my those annoying fan girls of his. For the third time that day, he glanced to his right.

_Fine, I'll just have to be super sneaky about it._

Ryoma watched the teacher carefully. Right when the instructor turned his back on the class to write something on the board, Ryoma quickly snatched Sakuno's pencil.

Sakuno blinked for a few moments, mentally asking herself if that actually happened. Did Ryoma just take her flowery pink mechanical pencil? She looked at him, only to find him smirking with the pencil in hand. His feline eyes darted to the teacher, then in a few swift strokes, wrote a message on the side of her notes. She watched in amazement as he silently put her pencil down on her desk and leaned back on his chair, clearly satisfied with himself. Was he in his right mind or what? Sakuno read the message.

_'How come you're avoiding me?'_

Sakuno's eyes widened as she froze up. Her eyes darted to her left, only to find him smirking and lifting an insufferable eyebrow. Her eyes quickly went back to the teacher, who was facing the class again. Sakuno internally battled with herself.

_Should I reply or not?_

The idea of him remembering her excited and frightened her at the same time. She was excited that Ryoma, her childhood crush, might have actually gave a damn about her. She was frightened that her walls would go to pieces and he would have the freedom of hurting her through ignorance once again. Sakuno hesitantly took up the pencil and wrote below it:

_'What are you talking about, Echizen-san?'_

The tennis prince immediately caught sight her hand movement and watched closely of what she was writing through the corners of his eyes. After she placed her pencil down, a deep frown formed on his face. It annoyed him further that she was STILL feigning ignorance. Her little acquaintance nickname wasn't helping matters either.

_Fine, if she wants me to spell it out, I will._

Once he made sure the teacher's back was fully turned, he swiped her pencil rather forcibly and scribbled:

_'Don't play dumb, Ryuzaki.'_

Hopefully that was all he needed for her to get the message. The damn teacher turned to face forward faster than Ryoma anticipated so he had to lean back onto his desk or else the teacher will definitely notice their silent chat going on.

Sakuno's heart beat sky-rocketed as she read the message two times. So he finally remembered her. He also sounded very annoyed with her, but she couldn't blame him. She'd be upset too if Tomoka just decided to stop talking to her. However, it didn't mean she couldn't be upset with Ryoma also. Ryoma had practically ignored her in all of their years at Seigaku together. She even made bentos and cheered on the tennis prince, even though she knew he didn't need it. Sakuno practically gave her heart out to him, but he just kept up a cold front and prevented letting anyone in, including herself. And when he left for America...

A scowl formed on her face as she took up her pencil and wrote under:

_'You wouldn't understand.'_

Ryoma's brows furrowed as he read the message, then looked up to Sakuno. He was met with a very, very, VERY cold glare from the auburn-headed girl. In all of his life, he had never EVER had a glare as cold as this thrown his way. Tezuka-buchou always glares at things, but they were different. His was scary and made you run twelve thousand laps non-stop, Sakuno's made you feel downright guilty and maybe depressed as an aftereffect for the rest of eternity. He'd gladly take the twelve thousand laps than this!

Her head whipped away as she set down her pencil with finality at the far end of her desk where Ryoma couldn't comfortably reach. Sakuno cursed the clock on the wall to move faster so that she could go home and do something to distract herself from the tennis prince. The teacher was still talking, and she SHOULD be taking notes, but she wasn't stupid. She was right-handed, and if she took up her pencil, Ryoma could very well steal it again and this pointless chat would continue. She knew it was downright mean, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Sakuno was always a push-over, but not this time. She grew into an independent young lady and she will not take crap from anyone. Even the famous tennis prince.

On her right, Ryoma was absolutely furious. What the hell would he NOT understand? Doesn't she have faith in him at all? Sure, he wasn't smart when it came to social interactions, but he wasn't a complete moron either. If she relented, then he would at least try to understand, but how can he if she won't budge?

The more he thought about it, the less he liked the situation. Ryoma didn't have any other means of communicating with her unless he got caught. Sakuno eyes remained on the teacher while having a pout on her face, and by the looks of it, she wasn't about to give back her attention back to Ryoma anytime soon.

_This is really ticking me off._

What had he done lately to earn this cruel punishment? His day started out great, where he slept soundly and his obnoxious father didn't rap on his door to wake him up. He took a great shower, ate a great Japanese breakfast prepared by his great mother, and went on his great way to school. He was looking forward to have a great match with his great senpai-tachi in the great tennis courts, but due to his GREAT ability to attract trouble, things didn't turn out so... Great.

Sakuno continued to ignore him to the best of her ability while Ryoma snuck side glances at her throughout the remainder of the class. When the bell rang, Sakuno quickly took up her school bag and whipped out her cellphone while walking hastily towards the exit, leaving Ryoma to gape at form.

_Oh no you don't. Two can play at this game._

Ryoma quickly slid out and briskly walked to the door.

"Ah, Ryoma-kun."

The said boy whirled his head to the teacher, who was beckoning him over. The tennis prince gritted his teeth and marched over.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to hide the annoyed tone in his voice. At this rate, Sakuno will-

"I just wanted to say that you've done exceptionally well on your English test. Have you ever thought of taking up a career such as an English teacher? It couldn't hurt to earn a degree," the teacher said with a smile.

Ryoma just furrowed his brows at him and shook his head. "Not really. I only plan to pursue a tennis career. Now if you'll-"

"Oh really?" Interrupted the teacher. "That's a shame, because you really have a nack for the English language, as well as others. Don't you also speak a bit of French?"

"Yes," Ryoma impatiently answered. "I do. Now if you'd-"

"And how about German? That's a good language to know too-"

"I'm sorry, Takashi-sensei, but I have to go. Now."

The teacher gaped at Ryoma as the said boy bowed in an incredibly low angle, almost hitting his head against his desk. The tennis prince immediately made a dash for the hallway and out the double doors of the school in hopes of catching Ryuzaki.

_Stupid teacher! He wasted my time and now I lost sight of Ryuzaki!_

He stood there, looking around the school grounds while pondering where the auburn-headed girl could be.

Since Sakuno's grandmother was their coach once again, Sakuno could be near the tennis courts waiting for her to go home. Or, Sakuno could have already gone home since she's not the directionally-challenged twelve year-old girl she was before and is quite capable of taking care of herself. At least he thinks so.

Thinking it better to cover all areas to be safe, he ran for the tennis courts to see his senpais already dressed in their tennis attire and heading inside the court gates.

Tezuka caught sight of his kouhai and said,"Echizen, you're late. Twenty laps around the courts."

Ryoma mentally cursed himself for forgetting tennis practice. But he had to talk Sakuno as soon as possible!

Tezuka, as well as his other senpais, began to stare at him curiously when Ryoma didn't respond or move.

"Thirty laps," Tezuka said, his eyes narrowing.

Ryoma scowled and jogged to the locker room before Tezuka could add another ten laps to his punishment. After he angrily got dressed, he started his laps as his senpais began practicing, but not without wondering what has gotten into their youngest member.

_She's probably walking home already._

His frown grew deeper as he concluded that Ryuzaki had successfully avoided him today. Tomorrow was another day, so he'd just have to catch her then. This silly little game had just begun, and Ryoma wasn't a quitter.

Ryuzaki Sakuno sighed heavily as she closed her eyes while taking a seat on the uncomfortable chairs in her grandmother's office. She felt the need to wait for her grandmother even though she was quite capable of walking home herself. The truth was that she had hoped Ryoma would chase after her, but he was either too slow or just gave up on her. Sakuno knew the latter was the most probable one. Ryoma played tennis, which resulted in quick feet, so the first one didn't make any sense.

She opened her eyes again and turned them toward the door where her grandmother disappeared to. Sumire had mentioned that she needed a quick word with Tezuka and the team and they would be on their way. She had even asked if Sakuno would want to come, but her granddaughter refused, saying that she'll keep watch over her office in case someone came in. The old coach raised a brow at her, but decided to let this slide and went out.

The door opened and in walked Sumire.

"Alright, we can leave now, Sakuno," she said while walking over to her desk and picking up her purse.

Sakuno nodded and followed her grandmother out of the office.

While in the hallway, Sumire started muttering to herself about forgetting something. The auburn-headed girl next to her wasn't paying attention, for she was lost in remembering the day's events. Sakuno had to say, she didn't expect the day to turn out like THIS.

The Ryuzaki's headed out towards the parking lot where Sumire's car was parked. Sakuno's eyes widened when she spotted the boy she had tried to avoid all day playing a fierce game with Momo-senpai. She jogged up to the side of her grandmother, making sure her form was hidden away from sight as they passed through. Just as they reached the middle of the tennis courts, Sumire suddenly stopped walking.

"Oh, that's what I was forgetting! Wait here, Sakuno," she said to her granddaughter and jogged up to the tennis court gates, leaving Sakuno wide open for the Regulars to see her.

The tennis prince was being merciless today and his victim was Momoshiro, who was sweating up a storm. Ryoma didn't give a damn, however, and proceeded to hit the ball back with heavy force.

Momoshiro know that something was obviously eating at Ryoma's mind and the arrogant brat was taking it out on him!

"Hey, Echizen! Lighten up, will ya?"

"Shut up and play," Ryoma yelled back, his fury blatantly showing.

The boy served the ball with so much force, Momoshiro was hesitant to even volley the ball back in fear of his racket strings breaking. The ball bounced on Momo's side of the court, giving Ryoma another point. But no matter how many points he easily scored, the frown on his face didn't lessen any.

Tezuka watched in curiosity as Momo continued to be slaughtered (metaphorically speaking of course) on the court. His ears picked up on padding steps and turned towards Sumire who was on the other side of the gates.

"Tezuka. I forgot to tell you that I will not be able to attend your next tournament. I have plans with the Nanjiroh," she informed.

The tennis prince heard his old man's name and turned to Sumire who was talking to his captain. He then noticed the girl a distance away, waiting patiently for her grandmother. His eyes widened as he stared through the wired gates at Sakuno, who looked just as surprised as he was. The girl quickly turned away before he could even blink. Just as he was about to call out her name, something painful collided with the left side of his head and his world was turning sideways until he hit the ground.

"Ack! Echizen! Are you okay?" Momo asked, running up to him and kneeling beside him.

"Momo-senpai, you idiot!" Ryoma hissed, feeling the side of his head where a bump was surely growing. "Why'd you have to hit it so damn hard?"

Momo frowned and crossed his arms. "I could ask you the same thing, you brat!"

"I wasn't hitting the ball that hard," Ryoma retorted as she sat up. He glanced towards Sakuno again but was disappointed to see her figure walking away with Sumire next to her.

He had missed his chance. AGAIN.

Ryoma pounded a fist against the ground. "Damn it!"

His senpai scrunched his brows together and looked to where Echizen was looking and suddenly, his face contorted into a sly grin.

"Ne, Echizen. Did you miss your chance to kiss Sakuno-chan good-bye?" he teased.

The tennis prince got up and dusted himself off while sending a cold glare in Momo's direction.

"I think we should play another game, don't you, Momo-senpai?" Ryoma asked, venom dripping from the soft tone he used.

Momo gulped. Oh, he was in for it.

**A/N**: Thanks for reading!


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